Metal sheet handling apparatus



March 9, 1965 D. BucclcoNE METAL. SHEET HANDLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 22, 1961 .0.5. S EBN J r Y. l .E A mush@ .WMNQM QQ muw QMNQ 405.28

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March 9, 1965 D. BucclcoNE 3,172,526

METAL SHEET HANDLING APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,172,526 .METAL SHEET HANDLING APPARATUS Dario Buccicone, Gary, Ind., assignor to Bucciconi Engineering Co., Inc., Gary, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed June 22, 1961, Ser. No. 118,802 3 Claims. (Cl. 198-41) This invention relates to the handling of metal sheets and is more particularly concerned with improvements in a method and mechanism for controlling the movement of sheets which are carried on an overhead magnetic convcyor and delivered therefrom for discharge into a pile beneath the conveyor.

In the handling of metal sheets in a processing line, conveyors employing electromagnets for holding the sheets against the bottom faces of parallel traveling belts are frequently employed. Conveyors of this type are shown in my Patent Nos. 2,642,174, dated June 16, 1953, and 2,527,911, dated October 31, 1950. In the piling of metal sheets which are advanced to the piler by an overhead conveyor of the type shown in my prior patents it is the usual practice to control the current delivered to the electromagnets in the conveyor by suitable switching arrangements so that the magnetic force acting on the sheets may be reduced or cut olf in order to permit discharge of the sheets from the conveyor. When the magnetic force acting on the sheet is discontinued by deenergizing the magnets the sheet is carried forward, due to its momentum, until the leading edge strikes an end stop bumper which arrests the movement of the sheet and allows it to settle onto the pile in the piler box. For most sheet piling operations the end stop bumper operates satisfactorily to stop the forward travel of the sheet. However, in handling relatively thin sheets at high speed, the leading edge of the sheet may be damaged When it hits the end stop or the sheet may fold up. It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide in a piling arrangement mechanism for slowing down the sheets as they approach the end stop so as to reduce the impact force sufciently to eliminate damage to the sheets, thereby permitting higher shearing speeds in the handling of thin sheets.

It .is a more specific object of the invention to provide an improved sheet piler having an overhead belt conveyor with means for holding the sheets against the lower face of the lower belt runs which conveyor advances sheets delivered thereto against an end stop for discharge into a piler box and wherein apparatus is provided at the entry end of the piler box for exerting a drag on the trailing margin of the sheet as the sheet is released by de-energizing the conveyor magnets so as to reduce the forward speed of the sheet as it approaches and strikes the end stop bumper.

It is a still more specific object of the invention to provide in a sheet piling apparatus having an overhead magnetic conveyor for delivering sheets from a processing line to a pile beneath the conveyor an apparatus for exerting a downward magnetic pull on the tra-iling end of the sheet so as to slow down the sheet and permit the same to strike the end stop bumper at a slower speed than the entrance speed.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide in a sheet piler having an overhead magnetic conveyor with an end stop bumper against which the forward edge 3,172,526 Patented Mar. 9, 1965 ice of the sheet impinges when released by the de-energizing of the magnets in the conveyor a speed retarding mechanism which comprises a horizontally disposed fibre apron at the entrance end of the piler and associated electromagnets which are operative to draw the trailing end of the sheet into engagement with the top surface of the apron so as to exert a drag on the sheet thereby reducing the forward speed at which the sheet is traveling when it hits the end stop bumper and permitting thin sheets to be handled at substantially higher shearing speeds without damage.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the apparatus which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a longitudinal vertical section, partly schematic and with portions broken Aaway or omitted, illustrating a piler apparatus which embodies therein the principal features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial plan View of the apparatus shown in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a partial vertical section in a transverse plane, taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE l, to an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary plan view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE 4 to a still larger scale; and

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 are circuit diagrams illustr-ating electrical control arrangements for the apparatus.

Referring rst to FIGURE l of the drawings, there is illustrated diagrammatically a sheet piler arrangement which incorporates the present invention. The piler comprises a horizontal sheet conveyor 10 disposed over a piler box 11. The box 11 includes a sheet supporting platform 12 and a vertically disposed back stop plate 13 with a cross roll 14 at the upper edge of the plate 13 which is supported between an end bracket 15 (FIGURE 4) and a center bracket 16 extending forwardly and vertically above an end support cross frame 17. An entry conveyor 18 is arranged with its exit roll 19 mounted in spaced relation to the piler roll 14 above the end support frame 17. The sheets S are delivered to the bottom run of the conveyor 10 by the entry conveyor 18 with the latter receiving the sheets from a shear (not shown) or other processing apparatus.

The conveyor 10 `is a rail type which is illustrated in Patents Nos. 2,527,911 and 2,642,174. It comprises a plurality of rail units 2t), each having an elongate frame 21 and a pair of parallel belt members 22 carried at opposite ends of the frame on the pulleys 23 and 24 with one of the pulleys, preferably pulley l24, being connected in driving relation to a motor or other -power source. A plurality of electromagnets 25 are spaced along the bottom side face of the frame 21 which exert a magnetic force through the belts 22 and hold the sheets on the belts as they are advanced by forward travel of the same beneath the frame 21.

The conveyor 10 is provided with an end stop mechanism indicated at 26 which is preferably of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 847,956, filed October 22, 1959, which issued Feb. 13, 1962, as Patent No. 3,020,810, or Patents Nos. 2,821,391 and 2,938,724. The end stop mechanism 26 is mounted on a suitable support (not shown) and provides a depending sheet engaging bumper plate mechanism 27 against the vertically disposed face of which the leading edge of each successive sheet S is adapted to strike.

A sheet slow-down or braking device 30 (FIGURES 1 and 3 to 5 is mounted between the entry conveyor exit roll 19 and the piler roll 14 by means of angle brackets 31 secured to the upstanding end member 32 of the end frame 17 and the center support bracket 16, respectively. Each of the slow-down devices 30 comprises a fiber apron 33 mounted on the top of a rectangular mounting frame 34 on which a coil box 35 is suspended. The apron 33 and coil box 35 are connected by means of the mounting frame 34 which may be formed of angle members with the apron 33 secured on the top flanges of the side members 36 and 37 of the frame by screws or similar fastening means. The coil box 35 is suspended at the inner end of the mounting frame 34 with the upper margins of the side walls 3S and 39 of the box fitting within the side members 36 and 37 of the frame 34. The box 35 is secured to four lugs 40 which extend inwardly of the vertical flanges of the frame side members 36 and 37 through slots in the side walls 38 and 39 of the box 35 and have vertically disposed threaded holes for receiving the threaded ends of hanger bolts 41. The bolts 41 extend upwardly through vertically disposed guide sleeves 42. The top flanges of the end members of the frame 34 and the end portions of the apron 33 are bolted or otherwise secured to the mounting brackets 31. The coil box 35 is divided into two coil receiving cornpartments by a center cross partition 43. Each `of the compartments receives an electromagnetic coil 44 having an upstanding T-shaped pole piece 4S. The cross bar 46 of the pole piece 45 protects into a downwardly opening slot or pocket 47 in the lower face of the apron 33 with the slot 47 extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine. Slow-down devices 30 are arranged at each side of the center of the machine so as to be effective on the trailing portion of the sheet S. Preferably, the devices are arranged so that apron 33 is at an angle relative to the horizontal with the trailing edge which is adjacent the exit roll i9 of the entry conveyor 17 being somewhat lower than the leading edge which is closely adjacent to the piler roll 14. An inducto switch 4S (FIGURE 1) is provided at the entry end of the conveyor which forms a part of the electrical apparatus for controlling the operation of the machine, the switch being actuated by passage of successive sheets beneath the same.

Electrical switching apparatus of the type disclosed in Patents Nos. 2,751,150 and 2,810,880 may be employed to control the current supplied to the various electromagnets and several different electrical control circuits may be used depending upon the sequence of operations desired. FIGURE 6 shows a circuit, partly schematic, by means of which current is supplied to the magnet coils 44 in the box 35 and the magnets 25 in the conveyor 10 are simultaneously turned off or de-energized so that the braking device exerts a drag on the trailing end of the sheet before the leading end of the sheet hits the end stop bumper 27. The resistor R is provided to control the amount of current supplied to the magnet coils 44. The magnet coils 44 are indicated at M44 and the conveyor magnet coils, which are divided into two sections or groups in the direction of the length of the conveyor 11 at the entry and exist ends thereof, yare indicated at MZSA and MZSB. The inducto switch relay contacts are indicated at 48a and 48h.

FIGURE 7 shows a circuit similar to the circuit in FIGURE 6 but connected so that magnets MZSA Vat the entry end of the conveyor 10 are de-energized before MZSB at the exit end thereof which permits the trailing portion of the sheet to drop before the leading portion is released. The inducto switch 48 operates the contactor M1 to cut off the current to magnets MZSA first. Contactor M2 then operates to cut off the current to magnets MZSB and turn on the current to magnets M44, so

that the brake device is actuated to grab only the very last portion of the sheet. If it is desired that more area of the sheet be subjected to the braking action contactor M3 can be controlled by contacter M1. Contactor M3 remains open while the inducto switch 48 is closed and the braking magnets M44 are not energized until the trailing edge of the sheet passes the inducto switch 48.

FIGURE 8 shows another control circuit which provides for momentary operation of the braking device 30. A condenser C is arranged in the circuit which is charged while the sheet S is advancing. When the magnets M25A and MZSB are de-energized by operation of contactors M1 and M2 under control of the inducto switch 48, the charged condenser C is allowed to discharge through the resistor R and the magnets M44 by operation of contacter M3.

While specific materials and particular details of construction are referred to in describing the apparatus illustrated, it will be understood that other materials and equivalent details of construction may be resorted to within the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. A piler for metal sheets comprising an overhead electromagnetic conveyor disposed above a pile supporting means and having traveling belts and associated electrornagnets co-operating with said belts for holding sheets on the undersurface thereof, a sheet feeding conveyor at the entry end of the electromagnetic conveyor for advancing sheets to the undersurface of the electromagnetic conveyor, and an electromagnetic braking apparatus between the discharge end of the sheet feeding conveyor land the pile supporting means which comprises an electromagnet Vspaced immediately beneath the undersurface of the entry end of the electromagnetic conveyor with its pole piece disposed vertically and a frictionrproducing plate of substantial width extending transversely of the electromagnetic conveyor between the upper end of the pole piece and said undersurface of said electromagnetic conveyor, said friction producing plate having a recess in its bottom face, said pole piece having a top cross bar seated in said recess, and means to control the current in the electromagnet of said braking apparatus so as to draw a portion of the trailing end of each successive sheet which is advanced by the belts on the electromagnetic conveyor into engagement with said friction producing plate and thereby slow down the forward motion of the sheet.

2. A sheet piler comprising a piler box, an overhead electromagnetic conveyor having endless traveling belts and electromagnets for drawing the sheets against the underside of the bottom run ofthe belts, power means for driving said belts and a feeding conveyor Aat the entry end of said overhead conveyor for delivering sheets to the undersurface of said conveyor for advance by said belts, apparatus between the discharge end of the feeding conveyor and the entry side of said piler box for frictionally engaging each successive sheet and exerting a drag thereon so as to retard the forward motion thereof as the sheet is released by said `overhead conveyor for deposit in said piler box, which apparatus comprises a transversely extending horizontally disposed friction producing plate member spaced slightly more than the thickness of a sheet below the undersurface of the entry end of said overhead conveyor, a coil box xed in depending relation beneath said plate member and having electromagnets therein arranged in transversely spaced relation and operable to pull a trailing portion of the sheet against said plate member as it advances between said conveyor 'and said plate member.

3. A piler for metal sheets comprising an overhead electromagnetic conveyor disposed above a piler box and having power driven traveling belts and associated electromagnets for advancing sheets on the undersurface thereof, a sheet feeding conveyor at the entry end of the overhead conveyor for advancing sheets to the undersurface of said `overhead conveyor, an electromagnetic sheet movement retarding apparatus immediately beneath the entry end of said overhead conveyor and between the end of the sheet feeding conveyor and the entry side of the piler box which apparatus comprises e coil box having vertically disposed electromagnets therein which are spaced transversely of the overhead conveyor immediately below the undersurface or the entry end of the overhead conveyor and a friction producing plate of ber or like material disposed between the upper ends of the electronragnets and the undersurface of said overhead conveyor and extending transversely of the pi'ier and means to control the current in the electromagnets so as to pull a References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,767,823 Beamish Oct. 23, 1956 l0 2,779,594 Buccicone Jan. 29, 1957 2,821,391 Buccicone Jan. 28, 1958 

1. A PILER FOR METAL SHEETS COMPRISING AN OVERHEAD ELECTROMAGNETIC CONVEYOR DISPOSED ABOVE A PILE SUPPORTING MEANS AND HAVING TRAVELING BELTS AND ASSOCIATED ELECTROMAGNETS CO-OPERATING WITH SAID BELTS FOR HOLDING SHEETS ON THE UNDERSURFACE THEREOF, A SHEET FEEDING CONVEYOR AT THE ENTRY END OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC CONVEYOR FOR ADVANCING SHEETS TO THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC CONVEYOR, AND AN ELECTROMAGNETIC BRAKING APPARATUS BETWEEN THE DISCHARGE END OF THE SHEET FEEDING CONVEYOR AND THE PILE SUPPORTING MEANS WHICH COMPRISES AN ELECTROMAGNET SPACED IMMEDIATELY BENEATH THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE ENTRY END OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC CONVEYOR WITH ITS POLE PIECE DISPOSED VERTICALLY AND A FRICTION PRODUCING PLATE OF SUBSTANTIAL WIDTH EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC CONVEYOR BETWEEN THE UPPER END OF THE POLE PIECE AND SAID UNDERSURFACE OF SAID ELECTROMAGNETIC CONVEYOR, SAID FRICTION PRODUCING PLATE HAVING A RECESS IN ITS BOTTOM FACE, SAID POLE PIECE HAVING A TOP CROSS BAR SEATED IN SAID RECESS, AND MEANS TO CONTROL THE CURRENT IN THE ELECTROMAGNET OF SAID BRAKING APPARATUR SO AS TO DRAW A PORTION OF THE TRAILING END OF EACH SUCCESSIVE SHEET WHICH IS ADVANCED BY THE BELTS ON THE ELECTROMAGNETIC CONVEYOR INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FRICTION PRODUCING PLATE AND THEREBY SLOW DOWN THE FORWARD MOTION OF THE SHEET. 